Sathorn
Parent Handbook www.standrews-schools.com
Contents Head of School Welcome School Mission Statement Fee Policy School Uniform Spare Clothes Increasing Attendance Sessions School Calendar Birthdays Student Indentification Cards Car Stickers Medicine Using Sun Sense Discipline Emergencies Food and Refreshments Communication Illness Early Years Curriculum The Curriculum for Key Stage One and Two Curriculum Letters My Own Work Parent - Teacher Consultations Independence Quality Learning Courteous Language Reading Toys in School Staff Training School Photos After School Activities Collage and Modelling Supples
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Welcome Dear Parents, Welcome to the Parent’s Handbook for St Andrews International School, Sathorn Campus. This handbook is to provide parents with day to day information which helps our school run so smoothly. If you need any further clarification, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office or your child’s class teacher. The curriculum at Sathorn is based on the National curriculum of England and Wales. With children from over 30 different nationalities attending our school, we adjust this curriculum accordingly to meet the needs of our international community. Children can attend Sathorn from the term they turn 2 years old (Nursery) to 11 Years old (Year 6). After this they can transfer to our Sukhumvit Soi 107 campus which will take the children through to IB level. During the school year we work between each campus so that our Year 6 classes have as smooth a transition as possible. With the philosophies and ethos of each campus being so similar this is seen as a natural progression. We fully embrace parent participation at Sathorn and invite parents throughout the year to support in classes and in various events. We also have a Parent /Teacher Group (PTG) which usually meets every month supporting in all the major events held at school. I am sure I will meet you all throughout the coming school year but please don’t hesitate to pop in to see me if you have any matters you would like to discuss in more detail.
Kind Regards,
Karen Pennock Head of School
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Mission Statement The St Andrews International Group of Schools’ mission statement is to develop independent, confident lifelong learners.
Organisation of the School Day
(Nursery – Reception)
Year 1 – 3
Year 4 - 6
Start of School
8.15 am
8.15 am
8.00 am
Break & Snack
10.00 am
10.10 am
10.10 am
2nd Session
10.30 am
10.30 am
10.30 am
Lunchtime
11.45 am
11.50 am
12.15 am
3rd Session
1.05 am
1.05 am
1.05 am
End of School
2.35 pm
2.35 pm
2.35 pm
Fee Policy
School Uniform
TUITION FEE The fee for each term’s tuition must be paid by the due date shown on the invoice which will be given towards the end of the previous term. No child will be allowed to attend the school until the tuition fee has been paid in full, or an acceptable arrangement has been made with the school concerning later payment. If a child joins the school at any time during the first half of a term the full tuition fee for that term is to be paid. If a child joins at any time during the second half of a term then half the tuition fee for that term is to be paid.
• All our children are expected to wear a school uniform and school PE kit, which are available at the school office. Please check that your child’s school uniform is clearly labelled right down to their shoes! It is surprising how frequently confusion occurs when garments and even shoes are identical. • Black Shoes – Please try to make sure your child has black shoes which fasten securely to his/her feet. We are really quite worried about the damage which could be done to feet and ankles at an early age. • St. Andrews has a ‘no shoes policy’ in class and we expect our children and visitors to abide by this. • We have a St. Andrews swimming costume available in various designs.
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Spare Clothes Please ensure that your Nursery & Kindergarten child has a change of clothes in their school bag at all times. Spare clothes do not need to be a school uniform or PE kit. Please ensure that all clothes are clearly labeled.
Increasing Attendance Sessions For students in Nursery: if you wish to change or increase any of your child’s attendance sessions, please speak to your child’s teacher in the first instance to ensure that your child is ready for this change. The teacher will then refer you to the office and if space is available you will be requested to complete the necessary forms.
School Calendar Please refer to your calendar regularly so that you are aware of the set holidays. Holidays and special events are also featured weekly in the school newsletter.
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Student Identification Cards Please provide the school with two passport – sized photographs of your child for a student ID card. These cards are for your child’s security and will need to be shown to the school guard when your child is collected from school. If you misplace a card or need duplicate copies, a new card can be purchased from the office for 30 Baht.
Car Stickers After enrolment you will receive two car stickers. These will allow you access through BNH without payment.
Birthdays •
Book Donations: It has been a tradition at school for families to make book donations to mark a special occasion. If a child has a birthday or is leaving the school often the parents will donate a book. The family or the school will then put a special ‘golden’ label in the front of the book with the date, the child’s name and the reason the book has been donated. The children are very proud and it is a lovely way to mark these occasions.
Birthdays are momentous events in every child’s life and at school we like to celebrate these special occasions. Please let us know in advance if you would like to send a cake to school to share with the class.
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Food and Refreshments
• NEWSLETTERS: published every other Friday, to keep you informed of events. These are distributed by email. A hard copy is available on request.
The School catering service provides a light snack of milk, juice and healthy finger foods during the morning, just before break time. Fresh drinking water is available at all times. We encourage all the children to eat independently so please make sure your child knows how to open his/her lunch box and drink container and use a spoon and fork.
Communication Parents have a special role to play in their child’s early education and therefore need not only to understand what teachers are trying to do, but also to work in partnership with us. At St. Andrews we provide various communication channels which enable us to create strong home/ school links. •
CONTACT BOOK: we encourage individual contact through a ‘contact book’. This provides an opportunity for the teacher, child and parent to comment upon any item relevant to the child’s well-being or education on a day to day basis.
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GENERAL APPOINTMENTS: if you have any problems or queries, please do not hesitate to telephone the school office and make an appointment with your child’s Class Teacher or Head of School. Tel: +66 (0) 2632 1995
Illness We are sometimes concerned that children return to school too soon after an illness. We request that children not return until there is no danger of other children and staff picking up infection from the sick child. In the case of an infectious illness, such as chicken pox, measles etc., We request that children do not return to school until they have a doctor’s note to say they are clear to attend. We are not only concerned for the child’s health but for other children as well as adults and pregnant mothers. This will hopefully help us to contain any sickness that may be going around and make our school a healthier environment.
• PARENT/TEACHER CONSULTATIONS: these take place by appointment on a termly basis. • SCHOOL REPORTS: issued in the first term and at the end of the school year.
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Medication If your child is taking medication please check with your pediatrician before letting your child come back to school. If it is necessary to continue medication after your child is well enough to return to school, please give the medicine to the nurse. We would also like to kindly request that you put a note in your child’s contact book to inform the teacher.
Using Sun Sense We plan outdoor activities so that the children spend time in shady areas and encourage frequent liquid intake. Please help us to protect your child and ensure that s/he has a sun hat to wear at school every day.
Discipline At St. Andrews we make a point of praising each child every day to promote positive thinking and self-esteem. In this way we encourage and promote our curriculum with recognition and praise. Sometimes however it is necessary to channel more aggressive impulses into acceptable behaviour and we use specific positive discipline guidelines to reinforce this: •
Fit the discipline to the child’s state of development – For our youngest children we try at first to divert their attention to another activity. If this does not work we remove them to another area. For a child over two, discipline includes an explanation
• • • •
as together we try to understand what triggered the child’s behaviour. Discipline must fit the child – We make use of what we know about the child’s temperament and sensitivities. A sensitive child would be devastated by punishment that may be appropriate to an active more confident child. Model behaviours for the child – We help children learn controls or ways to deal with a situation by giving examples and we praise, praise, praise, when we observe children really trying to control themselves. Use of time-out – When a child is observed using unacceptable behaviour more than once, they may need to have ‘time out’ from the activity they were participating in at the time. ‘Time out’ may also involve the child doing another activity for a short period of time. Stop and re-evaluate whenever discipline does not work – if a child continues to repeat inappropriate behaviour and indicates that s/he is anxious or out of control we contact parents to try and find out reasons and ways to help and support.
Emergencies If your child becomes sick at school we will contact you, administer basic first aid and stay with your child until you or guardian arrives. FEVER With parental permission, we will give your child some paracetamol – syrup and encourage them to drink water; a
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cool cloth will be used to bring down the fever. CUTS & BRUISES We will wash grazes gently with cool water, clean the wound and apply a plaster if necessary; ice will be used to bring down the swelling of bad bruise. EMERGENCIES In an emergency, if parents are not available, children will be taken to BNH hospital by a member of staff and helper. Every attempt will be made to contact parents before leaving school.
Early Years Curriculum At St. Andrews we follow the UK’s“Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage” which is a document for teachers working with children in Nursery, Kindergarten and Reception. This curriculum has a set of goals called “Early Learning Goals” that emphasise early Literacy, Numeracy and the development of Personal and Social skills. It also contributes to children’s knowledge and understanding and skills in other areas. The document focuses on six Areas of Learning for under – fives and provides a foundation for later achievement. The six areas are: • • • • • •
Personal and Social Development Communication, Language & Literacy Mathematics Knowledge and Understanding of the world Physical Development Creative Development
The Curriculum for Key Stage One and Two We use the National Curriculum of England and Wales as the foundation for our curriculum here at St. Andrews. This is adapted for our International environment. Each subject is clearly laid out in a detailed document that outlines all the knowledge, skills to be taught at each stage & learning outcomes. The curriculum is based on a system of assessment by which the teacher monitors the progress of all the individuals in his/her class. It is important to remember: • Each Child in an individual • Children develop at different rates in different subjects. • The National Curriculum is designed to take account of this and to help your child to progress. For further information please visit http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/ teachingandlearning
Curriculum Letters Curriculum letters outlining the learning objectives of each new topic are sent home every term for your information. If you have any comments or questions on the topics we would like to hear from you.
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My Own Work It is always good when parents show an interest in any project or topic work their child brings home from school. Try to encourage and praise especially careful work and try to find a special place to display your child’s achievement where it can be best admired. Try asking questions such as: • • •
What were you learning about when you did this particular piece of work? Why did you choose to write/draw this? Why are you so proud of this work?
Parent - Teacher Consultations Parent – teacher consultations are scheduled each term. These provide an excellent opportunity for your child’s teacher to discuss his/her school progress. Since the time allowed for consultations is often limited, it is helpful for parents to plan ahead by: • •
child to recognise his/her own belongings. Please help by teaching your child to use the toilet and wash hands afterwards, dress and feed themselves independently.
Quality Learning At St. Andrews we aim to promote quality learning with uninterrupted teaching time in school. We therefore ask you to respect the children’s lesson time, except in an emergency and avoid disrupting class time during his period. Parent – helpers are always welcome in school but if you wish to meet with a teacher or to discuss personal issues please make a note in your child’s Contact Book or call the office to make an appointment.
Courteous Language We encourage children to use courteous language. It would be a great help if you would support this practice at home.
Making a list of questions and or concerns you may have. Asking your child if s/he has questions for the teacher.
HEARTS, LIKE DOORS WILL OPEN WITH EASE TO VERY, VERY LITTLE KEYS AND DON’T FORGET THAT THREE OF THESE ARE: “THANK YOU”, “YOU’RE WELCOME” AND “IF YOU PLEASE”
Independence We encourage the children to be independent and do their own simple tasks. When you bring your child to school, encourage him/her to carry their own belongings and help them put their lunch box, book bag, school bag and contact book in the proper place. Mark your child’s name clearly on all possessions and help your
Reading Sharing and borrowing books from school is an established and enjoyable ritual for many of our children and they love to
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hear favourite stories over and over again. As well as developing a love of books and promoting. Literacy, our aim is to teach the children to treat books with respect and take responsibility for their care. To keep the books in good condition we encourage the use of book bags, available at the school office. We also provide a plastic folder; please use these at all times to protect the books. If these folders are damaged, a new one can be purchased from the office for 30 Baht. Please send your child’s book bag to school every day and ensure that your child has a school bag for personal belongings in addition to their book bag. At home try to find about ten minutes each day when you and your child can enjoy sharing a book together, somewhere quiet and comfortable. Talk about the pictures, discuss what might happen next, and point to the words as you read them. Above all enjoy the story together. With older children, try and find some time to discuss their reading book, as well as any projects they may be working on. You could help them to research a particular point of interest on the internet and read through the information together. We realise on the odd occasion accidents do happen. If your child’s book gets damaged or lost we will ask you to replace the book. This can be arranged through school or purchased independently by the parents.
Toys in School
upsets when they are lost or mislaid.
Staff Training In – service training days are training days set aside for teachers in order that we can keep up to date with the latest curriculum information and also plan for the coming terms. INSET days are marked on the school calendar and school is closed for children. We also have staff meetings every week when further training takes place, as well as morning meetings before school to discuss relevant issues and every day matters.
School Photos Each year photographers come to school to take photos of all the children. These photos are then made available to parents who are interested. The school Newsletter will keep you informed of dates and times for this event.
After School Activities The children are given a selection of different activities each term. These are not compulsory but we encourage all children to join at least one activity each week as part of their physical and social development.
Except for special activities or events we do not encourage the children to bring toys from home as they can be very distracting and often cause tears and
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Collage and Modelling Supplies Having a wide variety of materials stimulates our artwork and encourages the children to use their imaginations and select with discrimination. Please help us to make some interesting collections such as shells, lids, film cases, yoghurt pots, eggshells, boxes, buttons, seeds and any other items the children would be able to use in imaginative and creative ways. Remember, what may seem like rubbish to you, can be very useful to us at school. Please clean and save anything at all which could be used for sticking, from natural to manmade materials no matter how unusual. This would help tremendously.
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Notes
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Sathorn Campus 9 Sathorn Soi 4, North Sathorn, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500 Tel : +66 (0) 2632 1995 Email: sathorn@standrews-schools.com www.standrews-schools.com